bp before bp was

i'm not talking oil. the theme for this week's top 100 picks is robert redford (a.k.a. brad pitt, when the boy himself was still playing four-square on the playground). here's what i have to say about it:

all the president's men: if you're a succor for cynical mid-century political thrillers a la the manchurian candidate (1962) and the parallax view (1974), this is your flick. also tempting as a double feature with frost:nixon. this movie artfully captures the quiet intensity and indignation surrounding watergate.

butch cassidy & the sundance kid: simply stated, i love scoundrels. from robin hooding to hoodlums robbing, i find myself rooting for criminals to the dire end. and a little ole fashioned hollywood storytelling never hurts. sound like you? grab some popcorn. let butch and sundance take you for a ride.

the sting: from a competitive standpoint, this was a complete waste of time considering i watched it 3 years ago. but butch cassidy got me craving more paul newman-bob redford magic. if you haven't seen them work the streets of chicago - of if you haven't seen them in awhile - the sting is well worth a watch.

double indemnity: confession - neither robert redford nor brad pitt are in this movie. the film noir masterpiece, which took some teeth-pulling to make, raked in 7 academy award nominations in 1944. shocking, witty, and suspenseful, it's just what the doctor orders for a rainy autumnal eve.

the top 100 update

i'm up to 45 on the top 100 movie challenge. the theme of this week has been war movies. here's my take on the latest views:
on the waterfront: holy marlon brando. i don't care if he was difficult to work with or a jerk off-screen. he was one talented hottie. besides, it's nice to know that anti-snitch culture has been an urban battle since at least 1954.
the african queen: all those katherine hepburn jokes i made in college actually played out in this flick. it was pretty sweet that some of this movie was shot on location in africa, though.
schindler's list: never again is right. though well-crafted, this movie reminded me why i swore off holocaust films (and war movies in general) years ago. watch at your own risk.
the general: okay. forget what i said about war flicks. silent movies are an exception. buster keaton, the unlikely hero, proves that there is comedy in every situation.